IFAs are fast becoming irrelevant to a new breed of wealthy and sophisticated investors ready to take on managing their own money. Research shows that DIY investors feel competent dealing with their own portfolios with little professional help. Online platforms and robo-advice are making their task even easier, says research by Cerulli Associates, who spoke […]
General Articles
Mining Digital Coins Is More Expensive Than Digging For Gold
February 26, 2019
Mining cryptocurrency worth a dollar is three times as expensive as digging out a gold nugget worth the same amount of money. The energy needed to rive farms of mining servers has outstripped the total energy consumed by entire nations and the global environmental impact of the hunt for wealth from digital currency is yet […]
Slumping Pound Boosts Expat Pay In the UK
February 22, 2019
The Brexit effect of the falling pound has seen British cities plunge down the rankings in the latest list of the most expensive places to live in the world. London has traditionally sat near the top of the rankings, but has even fallen out of the top 100. The city is now the 103rdmost expensive […]
Spotify Manages To Hit The Right Note With Investors
January 15, 2019
The world’s largest music streaming service has completed the first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Share prices opened at $165.90 – much higher than the expected $132 guide price set by the NYSE in the lead-up to the float. After an initial surge, the price settled at $149, valuing the company […]
How The Political Revolving Door Influences Investing
August 17, 2018
The world may seem a different place in a few months as a serious of political events unleashes uncertainty about the future of several developed countries. And that political uncertainty is one of the factors that undermines economic growth and market sentiment, according to a detailed study by economist Stephanie Kelly of financial firm Standard […]
Who Can Have A QROPS Offshore Pension?
July 29, 2018
QROPS are widely available but come with some restrictions for expats seeking to move their retirement money overseas. With almost 1,300 current schemes across 28 financial centres, a QROPS pension is almost available for any expat. Expat is the first key word. QROPS are designed as a place for retirement savers who have savings in […]
Brexit Briefing: EU And UK In Talks Stalemate
April 24, 2018
Britain and the European Union still seem poles apart in the latest round of Brexit negotiations despite efforts from London to try and break the deadlock. Three issues are dogging the talks and even an intervention from British Prime Minister Theresa May aimed at moving the stumbling blocks has failed to see any significant progress […]
Bitcoin Cash Trading Pulled On Insider Trading Rumours
April 24, 2018
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange pulled the plug on trading Bitcoin Cash after fears insider traders were manipulating the price. Bitcoin Cash is a spin-off of virtual currency Bitcoin designed as an upgrade to shorten transaction times. Developers rewrote some of the blockchain technology underpinning online currencies to allow servers to crunch bigger lumps of […]
Expat Wins Right To Take Job Gripes To British Tribunal
January 28, 2018
Expats working overseas for British companies may take claims before UK employment tribunals following a landmark ruling. Lawyers claim the case could mean thousands more employees scattered around the world working for British-based firms gain protection from employment laws in the UK. Until the case went before a tribunal, the general rule was where a […]
Tax-Free P2P Booming As High Interest Rates Draw Lenders
January 28, 2018
City regulators have granted approval to several new ISA wrappers that allow tax-free peer-to-peer lending. Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) lets investors pool their cash to earn more interest than many traditional savings offers. New innovative finance ISAs let investors lend up to £20,000 a year – although the ISA limit can be spread over the three […]